The Knight and The Nerd
by AnnabelleLee13194
Summary: When I was five years old, I proudly announced to my mother that I was going to marry Embry Call. She laughed of course and helped me plan my 'wedding'.  At the time, Embry had been my "Knight in Shining Armor" and had stood up for me when the 'bullies'
1. Chapter 1

When I was five years old, I proudly announced to my mother that I was going to marry Embry Call. She laughed of course and helped me plan my 'wedding'. At the time, Embry had been my "Knight in Shining Armor" and had stood up for me when the 'bullies' in our Pre-K had picked on me. I remember Paul (a kindergartener) and Jared (also a kindergartener) had cornered me in the sandbox and kept telling me my short hair made me look like a boy (in their defense- it was a pretty ridiculous haircut). And then out of nowhere- there he was. This little boy, dressed up in paint covered overalls with his hair sticking up everywhere just appeared and told them to back off (an anomaly as Embry was usually very quiet- unless he was with Jacob and Quil). They laughed at him of course and called him a "booger head" and other such nonsense- but he never once moved from in front of me, even when they kicked sand at him. They eventually gave up (as Kindergarteners don't tend to have a lot of patience) and he turned around and just smiled this gap toothed smile. Right then and there- I fell in love.

He never really paid any attention to me after that- even when Paul and Jared did (eventually) start to pick on me again (this time for my obnoxious red glasses). I kind of guessed that Jake and Quil had teased him about standing up for me- but despite this, my crush stayed true. I watched him throughout elementary school (we always had the same classes- the Reservation was just that small), doodling "Carrie and Embry" or "Carry Call" all over my notebooks. Even if he didn't stand up for me, I kind of always thought of him as my "Knight"- because even when he didn't stand up for me his very presence gave me hope when I felt hopeless. He was there through the bad times (like when my glasses got even bigger), the bad-er times (puberty- god's gift to miserable me. The joys of getting fat and zit-covered) and the worst times (One word- braces.). And now, in High school, I could only marvel at the fact that…he still had no idea I existed. Alas, it was one of those miserable truths. It was expected though. I was but a lowly serf and he was a god-like prince of La Push High.

I was knocked out of my miserable-musing by the absurdly loud ringing of the school bell. Apparently, I'd missed the entirety of my English class moping over my missing crush- not that it mattered. I'd read ahead six chapters already. My fuzzy clumps of brown hair fell out of my (somewhat) immaculate bun, temporarily stalling my hasty exit from "Mrs. Marsh's" English class- and allowing me to hear the school gossips chatter.

"Did you hear? Embry Call's not here today either!" Becky Wilkes gasped, pushing an obnoxiously (fake) piece of platinum hair behind her ear (who'd ever heard of a blonde Native American? I haven't.). Her loyal crony, Samantha Wolfe, gasped at the appropriate time.

"AND I hear that he's hanging out with Sam's group now- I hope he's not on steroids like those other boys. It's such a shame…" Becky continued while Samantha 'hmm'd in appreciation. I stored this helpful tidbit of information about my future husband away for future reference. I then proceeded to push past the annoying twits (ignoring their rather rude cursing) and shuffle to lunch-my least favorite 'class' as it were. For you see- in my pursuit of perfection (coughcoughEmbrycoughcough) I had neglected a very important part of high school….friends.

Not that anyone would even TRY and be friends with me- they're too worried about getting dumped into a trashcan every Wednesday like I am (I've learned to bring an extra change of clothes and LOTS of perfume on those days). Besides, I preferred my solitude…sometimes. Don't get me wrong- I'd never wish my horrifying fate on anyone, but it would be nice not to be so alone all the time. My cat Fay was my best friend! And as comforting as purring can be, I don't think she understood the painful humiliation of having your pants yanked down in front of the entirety of the student body when you're on your period. After 'fondly' remembering that painful truth from seventh grade, I finally made it to the lunch room…and was promptly pushed into a trashcan by none other than Paul Meraz (yes. The same Paul who picked on me in Pre-K- I guess I just scream "LOSER" to any asshole in a ten mile radius). Well actually it was more like I flew into the trashcan- Paul was insanely strong, a fact which he held over my head every day since he disappeared for two weeks with "mono".

This time, I had luckily worn pants, so my wonderful "SpongeBob" underwear hadn't been exposed to the entire high school. Unluckily, it was also chilly day, and my hair and glasses were now covered in the disgusting substance. It also appeared that I was stuck in the trashcan with my hands pinned to my sides. I immediately started to struggle, desperately trying to free myself while ignoring the cackling of the student body. They just laughed at me. Maybe if I had SOME friends this wouldn't happen- or maybe they'd be stuck with me. The very thought caused me to struggle harder, fighting off hot tears that immediately fogged the glasses covering my muddy brown eyes. And then- just when I was about to give up- I was suddenly surrounded by light and cackling teenagers. Just like that, there he was.

My Knight had come to my rescue- finally.

Or at least I guessed this by the sound of his voice- my glasses were fogged up and covered in meat slop after all. I could vaguely make out him chuckling.

"Oh lord girl- how did you manage to end up in a trashcan?" Despite the fact that he simply talking to me had basically put me in a bliss-induced coma, I couldn't help but snort.

"Like you don't know- seriously, I think I'm the best laugh this school ever gets. " I can only assume he smiled since I was temporarily blinded by sunlight. I gasped, shielding my eyes from his glory- only to realize seconds later that he had simply taken off my glasses to clean them and the 'sun' was the harsh light of the cafeteria. After recovering from my 'temporary blindness' I came face to face with my long time crush for the first time since I was five.

And the world tilted.

If you've ever stuck the vacuum nozzle to your hand, you know what it feels like- that tugging, all consuming pull that tries to absorb you, but fails. Well this feeling was almost exactly like that- except all over…and it most certainly did not fail. I was just kind of stuck for a moment, looking it his eyes. The entire world became the TV on mute- only to be abruptly ruined when I was (rudely) pushed into a gaping and somewhat hypnotized, Embry's (finely chiseled- when did that happen?) chest. I was vaguely aware that he was absurdly and unnaturally hot- though I was more consumed with the fact that he was _growling_.

"God damn it Paul! Don't you ever fucking touch her again or so help me-"Embry sounded insanely pissed, but I knew that despite his delicious growth-spurt there was no WAY on the planet that he could take on Paul- he was too strong.

"No- its fine Embry. You don't have to be nice, I'm used to this sort of thing" As opposed to calming him down, he just snarled even more and started to shake.

"Aw c'mon puppy- it's okay. You heard the girl, she used to it! Besides- why the soft act now, you never did SHIT before." God help me- Paul did have a point. Why WAS he standing up for me?

"Damn it Paul- she my impr-" He stopped abruptly and just stared at Paul for a moment, as if he was trying to convey something with his eyes.

And just like that- Paul backed down.

"Oh shit man- I'm sorry." Paul said while backing up, Jared in tow.

"Man- what the HELL is going on? Why are you apologizing to him? We pick on fuzz-head-" _Real original ass-monkey_ "all the damn time! It's like our very own pass time!" Embry snarled at him, while kind of petting my head (seeing as I was still squished against him. Was I going to complain? Fuck no- I'd been waiting for this moment for 10 years!) . Paul just looked at Jared and seemed to mumble something very quietly- immediately changing the confused look on Jared's face to one of understanding.

"Damn man- sucks to be you. I hope mine's not all creepy and nerdy" Embry snarled yet again forcing Jared into submission.

"Jesus- alright I get it. When did you grow a pair?" I couldn't see his face due to the fact I was squished right in between his man-boobs, but I assume he glared at him. Despite the fact that I could not see my gorgeous Indian Knight- I was well aware of the entire cafeteria staring at our little freak show. I coughed gently to try and get my adorable giant's attention. Embry immediately stopped growling (and shaking- what the hell was with THAT anyway?) and pulled me back enough so that he could look at my face, palming it in his ludicrously large hands. The look on his face was one of absurd tenderness and concern- melting me into a puddle of "Carrie" goo.

"Hey- you okay? You sick or something?" I tried to pull myself out of my 'puddle' but his finger rubbing my face distracted me further.

"Hello? Uh hello? Hey- wait, what's your name anyways?" THAT little question pulled me out of my bubble of bliss.

"Excuse me? You don't even know my NAME?" He kind of looked confused- and a little strained, as if he was desperately trying to recall my name. He finally gave up and just shook his head no while looking incredibly sad (I nearly died from heartbreak due to that look).

"We've had the same classes together since Kindergarten." Despite the fact that I was angry, I also felt extremely hurt- this was just some more proof that I was utterly invisible unless humiliated. Embry looked like he'd been slapped. Regardless of my attempts to hide the hurt, my Knight in cut-offs seemed to look right through it.

"How could I NOT notice you?" I knew he was talking to himself- but I couldn't help but answer as the look on his face was far too heartbreaking for 'sensitive' me to stand.

"Don't beat yourself up- not noticing me is a public duty that this school has impeccably upheld since I could attend it." I patted him comfortingly on the face- yet again caught up in how _gorgeous_ his eyes were. They were this dark brown, but I could vaguely see this greenish gold ring around the pupil….

My internal musing was cut off by the harsh screeching of the bell. I reluctantly wiggled out of Embry's grasp and started to trot down the hall. I suddenly heard him shout.

"Wait! I don't even know your name!" I don't know what came over me then- I'd been fighting to get his attention since I could remember! Why would I play hard to get? And yet, I felt like MAYBE he should be the one to fight for me. Maybe I'd done my part in fate's grand scheme? So, with a (thankfully brace-free) smile, I just turned around and shouted back.

"That's for YOU to find out Embry Call! WORK FOR IT BABY!" And then I just turned around and laughed myself down the hall.

So- tell me what you think. I warn you, this story is going to be INSANELY fluffy. I'm feeling less funny and more romantic right now- don't worry, I don't have any huge drama planned. I hate that shit in a romance.

REVIEW BITCHES!


	2. Chapter 2

When I woke up the next morning, the most amazing thing happened…I didn't feel lonely. Now- when you look like me, act like me, basically ARE me you know that this sort of thing NEVER happens. It was like there had been this gaping _hole_ in my heart and it had been filled over night. I felt like for the first time in a long time I could breathe- truly breathe without this oppressive weight crushing me. And I couldn't help but feel that Embry had given me this feeling.

I woke up that beautiful morning and for the first time I felt honest to god _hope_.

It was beautiful and pure and made me laugh. I awoke that morning, hopped out of bed and danced around the room with my cat (though I surely looked a sight dressed in my bright pink jammies, retainer in and gaudy glasses on) because I couldn't believe it. Is this what normal people felt like in the morning? Did they wake up and want to _live_? Did other girls wake up in the morning and think 'maybe, just maybe I have a chance with the guy of my dreams'-without having to convince themselves? Embry had already made me feel alive and I had only said a couple _words_ to him….now if only he could figure out my name….

Almost immediately the happy feeling evaporated, and as my spirits dropped- so did my cat. After apologizing rather profusely to the disgruntled feline, I decided I should probably head to school. When I figured out I should get dressed before leaving the house and had done as such, I found myself late for school. An occurrence I hoped would never come as I'm sure some ass hole will just HAVE to say something.

"Hey Fuzzy, you run into the ugly tree on your way here? Is that why you're so late?" I SO told you someone would say something. And before you ask- surprisingly that WASN'T Paul. Actually, I have no clue who that is. So I just blinked at him, gave my teacher my slip and sat down in the back of the classroom (not because I was lazy- but because there was NO way anyone could covertly stick gum in my hair- that shits a bitch to get out of frizz). I found myself less miserable then usual- a true joy for me. In fact, the day seemed to pass by in a gigantic excited blur as I waited for Embry to show up.

But he never did.

That entire day I waited very patiently, trudging from class to class with the hope that he would appear like the Angel in Dante's Inferno and free me from this layer of hell. However, I found myself increasingly disappointed as the day went on and neither he nor the gruesome twosome showed up. It got to the point where I wondered if the day before had even happened- only to be reminded moments later by the startling memory of large arms engulfing me, protecting me from my long time foes. Needless to say, I spiraled into a horrible depression, hopelessly longing for the feeling I had experienced that morning. I also couldn't help but wonder- maybe he was avoiding me? I know _I _would avoid me…

The day after (a Thursday I think- the days kind of blurred together for me) I woke up and wanted to die. I felt this miserable, consistent tug in my chest pulling me in a direction I wasn't quite sure of. And I felt horribly sick (maybe I'd caught a cold?). I rolled out of bed, nearly giving myself a concussion on my bedside drawer and squishing my cat, and trudged to the bathroom. My morning routine went as usual (though at an admittedly slower pace than usual) and I couldn't help but sigh at my appearance- frizzy haired, muddy eyed, and splotchy faced me ….only today it was accompanied by very dark circles for eyes and a kind of sickly sheen on my face.

Was missing a guy this _much_ natural? Especially after he had basically ignored my existence for a decade or so? I liked to think that the fact I'd liked Embry so long had something to do with it, but something tugged at my subconscious…this pull that whispered _fate_….

Maybe they should put me on an antipsychotic?

After awaking myself from my self-deprecating musing I quickly clothed myself in some old sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt with some delicious looking moth holes in it and hauled my ass to school (it was only really a five minute walk- one of the perks of living a tiny ass town).

Despite the fact that my walk to school was rather half-hearted, when I got on campus I felt like I had been struck by lightning. There was this sort of instant energy that seemingly sealed away the hole where my heart had been. My body began to hum with life again. It wasn't like anything I'd ever felt before- almost to the point of being unnatural.

And yet…I _loved_ it.

I rushed into school, quickly hurrying to my locker (ignoring the rather crude drawing on it) and all but shoved my after-lunch schoolwork in it. The pull in my heart was rather persistent at this point, almost to the point of being painful. I could feel a cold sweat gathering on my brow and upper lip. My heart began to race, beating my rib cage brutally as my very _soul_ whispered 'hurry Carrie hurry, he's waiting you have to **hurry**'. I felt myself get pulled into frenzy, desperately pushing past students in pursuit of this feeling.

'_Thump thump'_ my heart pounded as I reached my first period door. For a moment I froze, almost savoring this hurried feeling before I finally pushed open the old wooden door.

And my heart sighed in relief.

Almost like he could sense me coming, Embry was staring at the door- the most peculiar look on his face. As soon as we made eye contact (when did his eyes get so beautiful? I never really noticed...) a huge, toothy grin appeared on his face and I had to fight the urge to swoon. Before I could even begin to walk over and say hello (not that I would- I'm too damn cowardly to do that) the bell rang and I was all but trampled as student after student rushed into the classroom. I quickly regained my balance, pushing the fuzz out of my face and rushing to my usual place at the back of the room- which also gave me a beautiful view of the back of Embry's head.

I'm not quite sure if either of us really paid attention to the lesson as we kept taking peeks at each other. I felt like a starving man eating for the first time- I could never get my fill of his face, hell even just the back of his head! It was so _odd_ but so _natural_- I'd never felt like this when I'd crushed on him before and yet I couldn't seem to recall any other feeling. As soon as the bell rang at the end of class, he was just suddenly next to me grinning from ear to ear and positively radiating smugness. I silently thought to myself "keep it cool girl".

"Hey…Carrie." If it was possible his smile got even bigger.

"YOU KNOW MY NAME!...I mean wow took you long enough…." Yeah- that 'play it cool' philosophy? Out the window in two seconds. I couldn't seem to help myself around him- maybe it was some form of 'Embry Turrets'? He kind of laughed softly while rubbing the back of his head (god he has such gorgeous black hair…I wonder what kind of conditioner he uses.).

"So- you impressed I figured out your name Rumpelstiltskin?" I couldn't help but laugh at the allusion.

"Not really, seeing as how we've been in the SAME classes for 9 nine years…" I could feel my face visibly drop at the thought and my heart clench. Why was he talking to ME anyways? The vague notion that this could all be some elaborate prank crossed my mind, but my very being rebelled at the thought- whispering that fate had intervened and that I should be _thankful_. I decided to go with the thought for the mean time and hold on to this magnificent feeling of elation while it lasted. I noticed that Embry's beautiful face had squished up in pain (curious seeing as how he barely knew me) and decided I should probably answer a more pressing question and change the question- god forbid the smile left his face.

"How DID you find out my name anyways? I mean I don't really have any friends and most of the teachers just yell 'hey you!' when they want my attention…" He full on laughed this time while gently placing his hand on my lower-back and guiding me out of the near empty classroom and into the full hallway.

"Well you see…I kind of high-jacked Paul and Jared and made them go through all the school pictures and yearbooks to look for you." I felt my face heat up at the gesture. He spent ALL DAY looking through year books? Just to find out my name?

"You didn't have to do that! I'm not worth all that effort…" He frowned at me, placing his rather large hands on my shoulders, circling his thumb around the top of my shoulders and collar bone. My heart immediately broke into a gallop and this electric shock zinged down the entirety of my body, filling my head with fog. I had to crane my neck to look up into his face and when I did the look in his eyes shocked the living hell out of me. I could _see_ the feelings I had for him reflected back at _me._

"Don't say that…besides, Jared and Paul deserved all the work after the hell they put you through." I couldn't help but smile at the image of Paul and Jared surrounded by yearbooks as Embry breathed down their throats to find me. Almost like an automated response, Embry smiled back- instantly filling my head with clouds again and making me hyper-aware of his hands still massaging my shoulders. He seemed to become aware of this fact to and with a light blush gracing his cheeks, slid his hands down the length of my arms before grasping my clammy hands in his large warm ones. If it were possible my heart started to beat even faster, threatening to send me into cardiac arrest. And his smile just got larger, yet again turning him into the 'Cheshire cat'. For a moment the pearly whites hypnotized me into a stupor. However, the feature that held my attention the longest was his eyes. I always seemed to get pulled into them…

"Excuse me? What exactly do you think you're doing?" We were pulled out of our trance by none other than Becky Rainwater. To be honest, I'd never really talked to the girl but I did know OF her. She was a decently pretty girl with a nice oval face and straight black hair- truly Native American looking. Becky was also the chatter box of the school and – rumor has it- Embry's latest girlfriend…well before he left for two weeks. She also had a rather nasty glare on her face aimed RIGHT at me.

To my shock, Embry didn't throw my hands down like I expected him to. He just tilted his head in acknowledgment and continued to stare down at a very uncomfortable me. Since it didn't seem like he was going to say anything anytime soon, I figured I should before it lapsed into an even more awkward silence.

"Nothing really- Embry was just…walking me to my next class" She scoffed at me and looked at our joined hands as if to make a point.

"Right. Whatever. Listen here Egghead- why don't you just shuffle on to your next class and leave poor Embry alone." I felt my hands slacken in Embry's grip as tears pooled in my eyes. To my utter shock my Knight in shining armor did not stand up for me- he just looked at me expectantly as if he was waiting for me to say something- or leave. I clenched my bottom lip in between my teeth and fought off the feeling of disappointment and overwhelming sadness- and a touch of betrayal. Why wasn't he standing up for me? Like he had with Paul and Jared? …Maybe he DID want me to leave him alone, so he could go out with Becky- the normal girl.

My hands fell out of his and I felt surprisingly empty.

I nodded to both of them before shuffling to my next class, my hair pushed in front of my face in an attempt to hide the tears bubbling in my eyes. I didn't see Embry push past a clingy Becky and follow me down the hall, keeping away anyone who tried to pick on me.

The rest of the day went in a blur- hell I can't even remember what my mom packed me for lunch. The happy feeling I had, had been crushed by my own doubts and insecurities and I couldn't find it in myself to pick myself off the ground. I don't know why him not standing up for me hurt so much- I was used to the treatment. That and he'd only REALLY stood up for me twice. So why did it feel like my heart had drained into my toes?

When the final bell rang that day, I had to fight off the urge to run all the way home- seeing as I was A) likely to trip or B) likely to BE tripped. So I just trudged home in the light mist (which only further increased the frizz that was my hair) while contemplating eating an entire gallon of ice cream and donning more sweat pants…well ones that weren't covered in rain. About half way home this ominous feeling came over me, almost a feeling of impending doom but not as harsh.

"Hey _EGGHEAD_!" The loud exclamation was swiftly followed by the resounding _crack_ of an egg being thrown into my face. I didn't even have time to feel shocked before I was assaulted by borage of Extra Large Eggs. It was an assault on my senses- a mixture of sharp pain and cool sliminess. I could feel my skin getting cut by the egg shell pieces and my sight was blinded by the goo on my glasses. Despite the fact that it felt like an eternity to me, the egg massacre only lasted a couple moments and I was left in the middle of the road, blind and humiliated. The sound of laughing filled the background and I heard the now familiar voice of Becky speak.

"Next time you try to _pathetically_ flirt with Embry- think again. No one wants a frizzy haired freak that stalks people and is well…covered in chicken fetuses." There was more laughter as the girls ran off and I was left utterly shocked in the middle of the road.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Before I begin, I don't own anything but my OCs. That and I'd love to give a shout out to my AMAZING beta Jenasys Loveless Lovecraft.

"_Next time you try to pathetically flirt with Embry- think again. No one wants a frizzy haired freak that stalks people and is well…covered in chicken fetuses." There was more laughter as the girls ran off and I was left utterly shocked in the middle of the road._

_~  
_I was humiliated. I don't understand what I've done to deserve this kind of treatment…I mean I've never done a bad thing in my life, never hurt anyone intentionally, I always listened to my mom, and lord knows I got amazing grades in school. I was used to the teasing but no one had ever gone _this_ far before. What had I _done_? The only conclusion I could come to was "be yourself".

The thought sent me sobbing home.

The scenery passed by me in a blur of grey and green as tears cascaded down my face. The salt aggravated the egg shell-induced cuts on my face, making them burn angrily- yet another reminder of my far too recent humiliation. I was vaguely aware of the rain increasing in tempo; further plastering my fuzzy hair to my face and making the egg goo run out of my hair and into my mossy-mud like eyes. I could feel the hole that was my heart tear further as I ran- the same incoherent thought circling through my head.

_Why? What did I do? God, why am I being punished? What's so bad about me that I have to __**suffer**__ for? Please God…help me…I don't know how much more of this I can take…_

Before I had even realized it, I felt myself trip up the steps to my house and land on my face. I tried desperately to get up, pushing myself up and kicking at the stairs in a feeble attempt- but my strength had been zapped from my very soul. I had lost the will to even _try_ and get up by myself. So I did the only thing I could think of when I didn't have the will or the way….

I called for my mom.

"Mom! Mom- help me!" The cry came out half strangled, but sure as the sun rises I heard the tell-tale squeaking of my mom's tennis shoes as she rushed towards the front of the house. My mom gasped at the sight of me huddled on the front porch, soaked to the bone, covered in egg bits, and bleeding everywhere (as facial wounds tend to do).

"Dear god Carrie- what happened to you baby?" I could only sob and clutch at my stomach in a futile attempt to stop the pain and humiliation I was feeling from spreading. Through my tears I saw my mom bend down in her scrubs and felt her scoop me into her lap.

"Oh baby….I know, I know baby- everything's going to be all right sweetie. _Who _hurt you? No wait- better question, _why_ would they hurt you?" The question made me convulse in sorrow and my mom, probably realizing her questions weren't helping me any, just petted my head in an attempt to make me feel better. And it did help me.

But my heart cried out for another.

My mom finally managed to help me stand and assisted me up the stairs. My sobs had stopped, but the pain had increased to a level that was almost numbing. I much preferred it to the burning pain of humiliation. I was only dimly aware of my mom telling me to take a shower and get the gunk out of my face and hair while she was on the phone. I just nodded at her and stripped down, stepping into the not yet heated spray. I could feel myself shivering, but the cold was almost refreshing at this point. Eventually the water did heat up and my senses returned with it. I could hear my mom on the phone down stairs talking to Mrs. Brooks- her best friend and my godmother.

"I don't know what to do, Bev! She won't talk to me and she came home looking like someone had thrown a chicken coup on her!" There was silence for a moment before I heard my mom's muffled sigh.

"The Elders? What could they possibly do? I mean it's not exactly like I could turn to the police- I don't want to put Carrie through anymore hell and I KNOW she won't say anything to me…." I could see the yellow goo slowly melting off; however the shells were giving me trouble. They were like little bits of sand- getting stuck in annoying, hard to reach places and sticking to my hair like gum. There was yet another sigh before my mom began to speak again.

"Alright, alright- you're right Bev. Do you think she'll talk to someone she's not close to?" There was another pause before she continued.

"Okay Miss. 'I'm-a-therapist-so-I-know-best'. I'll call Sam and tell him what's going on…I hope you're right about this. I can't stand to see my baby look the way she does right now…" At the mention of Sam, I suddenly became utterly aware again. Would Embry show up? My heart screamed in ecstasy at the thought. Suddenly my sluggish moments sped up as I hurried through my shower, desperately scrubbing myself raw in a hurried attempt to rid myself of the very dead chicken embryos and there blasted containers. My struggle became even more hurried as I heard my mom on the phone again.

"Hey Sam- I have a little situation over at my house and I don't really want to bring the police into it…" I damn near killed myself on a bar of soap in my hurry to finish up.

"I know you don't usually handle stuff like this but my daughter was fucking _assaulted_ on her way home! She came home sobbing and covered in eggs, cut to hell and fucking _collapsed on the porch_!...Hello? Sam? What in the world is all that noise! When did you get a dog...I just assumed because of all of the growling going on….You'll be right over? Wait a second- you wouldn't even consider come- Hello? God, I have no clue how Emily stands that man!" I heard her huff before slamming the phone down. I faintly heard the stairs creak as she walked up them (I'm assuming to come and check on me), only for her to turn around a second later as the doorbell was rung repeatedly.

"How in the world did Sam get here so fast?" There was some more shuffling before I heard the door creak open and a resounding gasp.

"What in the hell! Embry? Why are you here? AND WHY ARE YOU HALF NAKED?" There was another commotion as I heard a truck pull up and the heavy footsteps of who I guessed to be the infamous Sam Uley. I could distantly hear a hushed argument ensue before my mom's infamous 'don't fuck with me' sigh made an appearance.

"Listen here boys- I have not a damn clue what you two are going on about, but it's gonna stop right now. Get in the house, sit on the damn couch and shut the hell up while I go and get Carrie. Now Embry- I have no idea why you're here but I'm too damn tired from my shift and too damn stressed to care….Wipe your shoes on the mat before you come in…well Sam you wipe your feet- seeing as how _you're_ not wearing shoes for some obscure reason.." I finally decided that I didn't really care about the egg shells anymore and lurched out of the shower, desperately grabbed a towel, and hurled myself into my room. I ignored the feel of water dripping down my back and the air stinging the cuts on my face as I hurried around my room, trying to find something that _wasn't_ covered in eggs to wear. I don't know why, but I just HAD to see Embry- it was almost as if my body was tugging me down the stairs desperate for some unnamable comfort.

The thought of Embry froze me in place (half dressed and all). Why hadn't he stood up for me when I needed him? And why did he show up if he so obviously wanted to be with Becky? For that matter- how did he even hear the conversation on the phone (which I assumed he did)? I was dimly aware of renewed tears streaming down my face as my mom knocked on the door.

"Carrie? Sweetie? You okay in there?" I called out the affirmative and heard my mom sigh through the door.

"Listen, I know you're not going to like this but I called Sam over about what happened. I figured you'd feel more comfortable talking to someone not so close to the situation- please don't be upset honey, I just want to help." Surprisingly- I really wasn't upset. Well, not about Sam being there anyways.

"It's okay mom- I'm not upset about Sam…I'll be down in a minute, I just have to get dressed" There was another sigh before my mom shuffled back down the stairs, and I then heard more muffled conversation. I eventually just gave up and threw some more sweat pants on and a blue scrub top from my mother before heading downstairs. As I reached the last step there was a resounding 'creak' and the conversation in the other room ceased completely. The utter abruptness of it quite frankly scared the crap out of me. I had to pause for a moment and gather my composure (and my courage) before I headed into the living room.

And promptly burst into tears…again.

Just seeing Embry had sent me into another tirade of tears- only this time they were of relief. The feeling was a tidal wave unlike anything I had ever felt before. It became so strong that I just sort of collapsed onto the floor- nearly landing on my face and yet not caring. I heard my mother gasp and suddenly I was enclosed in warm arms and enveloped by a purely masculine scent (that had just a hint of wet dog to it…strange…).

"Hey, come on now no one's going to hurt you anymore Carrie. I'm here…" I don't know why just his presence comforted me so. And just like earlier that morning the hole sealed itself again and I was only left with a feeling of minor humiliation- nothing like the all consuming hell of earlier. But one question still nagged at the forefront of my mind.

"Why Embry? Why didn't you stand up to her?" I could feel him shake angrily for a moment and his chest rumbled.

"Did Becky do this? Did she? Girl or not I'm going to-"I had to cut him off before he started on a tirade.

"Embry! Just stop and answer me! _Why? _"If it were possible he clutched me closer to his torso, enveloping me even further into his scent. This time I could hear the sorrow in his voice.

"I'm so sorry Carrie- I was just hoping you'd try and stand up for yourself" He what?

"Embry I _can't_- there's just no point…Even if I did I'd still have no friends, no one to back me up and it'd just get worse…" He growled and mumbled something inaudible before placing a meaty palm on the back of my head and cradled me to the side of his neck.

"Now tell me what happened Carrie- I can't help you if you don't _tell_ me…" and then it just all spilled out, like I had been compelled to tell him. When I finally got to the part about Becky and her friends laughing at me, Embry abruptly dropped me and left the house- vibrating away as he left. That old hole appeared again, along with some brand new confusion.

"Why'd he run off like that?" I don't think Sam was really paying attention to me. He had this sort of constipated look on his face as he stared out the window. I even tried waving my hands in his face but the look stayed. I finally just resigned myself to sitting on the floor and picking egg shell bits out of my hair. There was a sort of heavy silence in the air as we (presumably) waited for Embry's return. After what seemed like an hour, I felt the hole seal up again and let out a relieved sigh- which seemingly alerted Sam to something which made the constipated look disappear…like Exlax or something. Apparently I had been distracted by the eggshells in my hair hadn't noticed the continued downpour outside. So when Embry showed up half-naked with water dripping down the gorgeousness that was his 24- pack I did the only sensible thing a girl like me could do.

I squealed- quite loudly if I do say so myself.

My mother (having been aware of my crush since it had started) just kind of smiled to herself, while Sam just looked at me weirdly. Embry's reaction actually surprised me…he freaking _flexed_ at me. And grinned his signature grin. I squealed again- only this time it was (thankfully) an internal one. After he finished his 'He-Man' moment, a serious look came on his face and he looked over at my mom.

"Mrs. White? Can I talk to Carrie alone for a minute?" My mom grinned at me before she nodded at him. I could feel the bright red that was my face heat up even more as Embry gestured outside and with shaking limbs, picked myself up off the floor and headed outside with him. Perspiration began to build up on my hands and face and I could feel the nerves (or were they butterflies?) dancing around in my stomach like a dying snake. I felt like my body had been wired with energy, and all of my senses were hyper-aware. The rain dripping off the roof, the warm smell of his skin, and the droplets of water sliding down his nose played out in this slow motion daze. He took me to the corner of my white porch with his hands stuffed into his shorts. The light outside was pale and murky, but somehow it made the scene that more special. To my surprise, he had an adorably nervous look on his face as he stared down at me with his big brown eyes.

"So Carrie…I know we haven't really known each other very long but I was kind of wondering if you'd like to go out some time?" The entire sentence came out in a rush, and while it was cute, it was also extremely confusing.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" He actually blushed this time- though it was rather hard to see due to the darkness of his skin.

"I _said_…Do you want to go out some time?" This time I was the one to blush. My heart felt like it was going to burst in my chest from both excitement and trepidation.

"You're asking me out? Even though I'm covered in egg bits and I have fuzzy hair?" He smiled at me and just nodded. However, rather than reassure me it just made me feel more nervous.

"Is this some sort of cruel prank? I mean if this is you can just leave right now! And what about Becky? I thought you two were going out or something-"I was cut off by Embry's (rather large) hand covering the bottom of my face. He looked slightly peeved towards the end of my rant, but he also had this startlingly tender look on his face.

"First off, let's just say I got a refreshing, fuzzy haired wakeup call when it comes to Becky." The irritated look returned full force at the mention of the egg-tossing bitch's name. I tried to seek out his eyes and try and read the irritation in his eyes (to see if it was maybe aimed at me), but as soon as they met my own the look melted away into an achingly tender one.

"And secondly, I'd never go along with anything Paul or Jared said- between the two of them I'd be surprised if there was more than a half of a brain cell." I couldn't help but smirk at the derogatory comment aimed at my two long time-foes. I was distracted from my momentary triumph by the feel of two large hands cupping the sides of my face (making my glasses fog up from the heat) forcing me to look into a pair of beautiful brown eyes. I could feel his thumb rubbing the top of my cheek bones, sending my head into a sort of haze.

"And…I'm asking you out because you're _you_- and I really like that"…well he totally had me convinced. What's my name again by the way? Shit- my brains died of bliss. That and the sweet grin on his face has pretty much melted my insides to goo. I could vaguely see his lips moving like he was talking, but the entire scene had gone mute. I was brought back to the real world by a pair of fingers snapping in my face.

"Carrie? Did you hear anything I just said?" No. No I did not.

"I asked you out again. And I'm kind of getting nervous without an answer…" This time, my answer came immediately and I felt a huge grin spread on my face.

"Definitely- what took you so long?"

And then I wasn't the only one smiling.


End file.
